I remember when bullying consisted of one person known by the whole school and it usually meant that if you weren't the bully, you got the crap kicked out of you on the playground, after school, or in the locker room. It resulted in a few black eyes, your lunch money getting stolen, or you ended up being stuffed inside of a locker. That was before computers and cellphones ruled the world and bullies weren't worried about anonymity. But just as technology has changed, so has the act of bullying and the effects it has on its victims.
Cyber bullying; the new trend in terror amongst children, teens, and even college students. It can be defined as one person targeting another person by using the internet, cell phones, interactive and digital technologies to threaten, harass, torment, humiliate, and embarrass them. According to www.stopcyberbullying.org, there are two types of cyber bullying; direct attacks and cyberbullying by proxy. Direct attacks involve text messaging, instant messaging, impersonation, sending porn,stealing passwords, sending viruses, sending personal pictures or videos through email or SMS messages, and interactive gaming such as Xbox live or online gaming. Cyberbullying by proxy is when the cyberbully gets someone else to do the damage for them. They may pose as their target online and use the people around them to participate without their knowledge; this can sometimes even mean adults.
Cyberbulling has never really been exploited in the media until recently, when Rutgers freshman Tyler Clementi took his own life, after his roommate, Dharun Ravi, and one other person, Molly Wei, streamed video of him engaging in a sexual act with another man. According to the NY Times, Ravi posted a message on Twitter on September 19th admitting to turning on his webcam from Wei's room the night that Clementi asked for the room until midnight. He attempted to produce another live feed on the 21st, just a day before Clementi jumped off of the George Washington Bridge. Ravi and Wei are both being charged with invasion of privacy.
The effects of bullying doesn't stop with Clementi; he was just one of five teens who committed suicide over a 3 week span because they were being taunted over their sexual orientation. Thats not where it started either. Let's not forget April of 2009 when a Georgia fifth grader, Jaheem Herrera and 11 year old, Massachusetts native, Carl Joseph Walker-Hoover, both committed suicide after being bullied at school.
The truth is, bullying might as well be a modern day genocide. It is about time that communities come together to help prevent bullying in schools, neighborhoods, as well as homes and places of business. Educating children, at home and at school, about the consequences of bullying and instilling in them respect for others during early childhood is a start. Teaching children to stand up against bullying won't prevent it from happening but it will help show bullies that there is no place for that type of "violence" in their community. Most importantly, teach your children to report bullying and encourage teachers to take it seriously. Teachers who fail to intervene should be held accountable as well. Parents should be active in their children's lives and know what types of activities they participate in. I understand that after a certain age, kids want to keep their parents at as much of a distance as they can, but as a parent, you need to know how much distance is too much. Bullying can cause victims to live a life full of fear, anxiety, loneliness, and depression; ask yourself, "is that really any way to live?" Bullies should be held accountable for their actions up to 100%. In my opinion, Ravi & Wei should be charged with more than just invasion of privacy. In fact, anyone who could be the cause of someone else taking their own life should be charged with murder. I am by no means knowledgeable in law, but in cases such as these the maximum punishment just doesn't seem enough for the hurt and pain a bully inflicts on their victims. It's time that everyone stood up and said no to bullying.
*~Writers Ink~*
Visit http://www.mwpuab.com/bullycide.html to see faces and read the stories of other "bullycide" victims.
Have you ever been a victim of bullying? Do you have a story you would like to share? Comment or email me @ writers_inkorporated@yahoo.com
*All photos can be linked back to their original site & follow the links for originial stories*
No comments:
Post a Comment